


The nightjar

by Rook_Rabble



Category: Dansih folklore
Genre: Bird, Light Horror, Missing Milk, Mystery, buried, ghost - Freeform, hole in wing, nightjar - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-06
Updated: 2019-08-06
Packaged: 2020-08-10 14:36:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 753
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20137069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rook_Rabble/pseuds/Rook_Rabble
Summary: The Nightjar, a bird that is active at night, and haunts fields and marshes with an ominous sound, of course gives the superstitious Danes cause for concern. Read about the creepy little bird, and find out what could make a lost traveler look over his shoulder a second time, and why it's sometimes called ''goatsucker''.





	1. In search of Jerusalem

**Author's Note:**

> Phrases with underlined ____________ are my comments

**The Nightjar**

The nightjar (Caprimulgus europaeus) was a human being who after his death was transformed into a bird. It flew around at night and sought to come to Jerusalem, where it could be saved from its fate. It was the belief of the common man had about this mysterious night bird.

The nightjar was a gray-brown bird reminiscent of an owl. It was an accomplished flyer who flew around with a wide open beak. During the flight it exclaimed a terrible noise. Sometimes it sounded like it was sighing and groaning. It could also make fire with the wings so it could see in the dark. When the nightjar was flying, it resembled a cross and first it'll jumped over the ground like a magpie and screamed: "Baw-baw"

Suicides and others who had committed an evil act should not be buried in the cemetery. They were often buried in a "three-bound shell", i. a divide where three parishes met. Here they lay in the ground and had to dig or shoot a sand grain aside each year.'' I never quite understood what that meant, not even in the Danish folklore'' how can someone dead, shoot or dig??'' After many years they came up and were transformed into night excavations. The nightjar could also be a man who, as a ghost, was urged in the ground. The buried could then assume the shape of a nightjar. In the place where a ghost was urged, one drove a pointed pole into the ground. The pole left a large hole either in the right or left wing.

**Where's the milk**

****You could not look up when the nightjar came flying over your head, because if one came to look through the hole, one could lose one eye or the mind, or one died before 24 hours had passed. But if you saw the sun through the hole, you could see what was otherwise hidden from the eyes of others. Normally, the nightjar was peaceful and only eager to get to the sacred grave, but if you were fooling around or imitating it's scream, it came rushing and could knock you down in height speed. The nightjar is also the suspected when the farm animals fail to give milk as it stole it at night. ''Yes someone needed a scapegoat or bird''.


	2. Near the kingdom of heaven / The fortunate man

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Almost free  
A fright in the night

**Near the kingdom of heaven**

A big girl should look after cows the day her sister was married. She was so sad that she killed herself by jumping into a water hole in Gravlev Kær in Himmerland. ''Come on, you are giving everyone who is there for that wedding, an afterparty they will never forget!'' It took a long time before anyone found her, and when you finally got her caught up, you could not bury her without further ado in the cemetery. She had committed suicide. The body was therefore placed on a cart with a couple of studs for. You now let the studs pull the cart where they wanted to. They even opened the church gate so that the students could go in if they wanted to. The studs also went to the church gate, but remained outside the cemetery. Then the priest said, "Yes, so close was her soul to the kingdom of heaven, but it could not come there." Then they turned the studs, and lead them on. Now they went for a while before they stopped again. the studes stopped at a field diverge. Here she was buried. It was her who turned into a nightjar, which people often heard in the area. As it flew over running water, it screamed:

'' Baw, baw, ba-u ''

**The fortunate man **

A man was one evening on his way to town. As he walked, he became needy. He found himself a suitable place behind a bush. While sitting there, he suddenly heard a voice. It came from the earth beneath him. It said, '' Now I'll turn '' The man was terrified. Then the voice said again: '' Now I'll turn '' The man thought, '' what is it? '' Then for the third time the voice said: '' Now I'll turn'' Then the man replied, '' Yes, then turn in the name of Jesus and never turn again.'' a man who had been buried in a "three-bound shell". And that was the nightjar who had shouted from the grave. But when the man said, "In the name of Jesus," the nightjar was ridden from his fate. He's soul should never fly around like a nightjar again. ''One lucky leaking''


End file.
